Freight Industry Awards recognise a range of transport and logistics operators, with Secon Freight Logistics taking out inaugural prize
September 4, 2012
Businesses across the transport and logistics sector have shared in the spoils of the Freight Industry Awards night, with Secon Freight Logistics taking out an inaugural scholarship prize.
The September 1 event, run by the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) and now in its 23rd year, recognised Metropolitan Express Transport with the Best Practice Safety Award for its fall prevention safety system that reduces slips and falls from trailers.
FBT Transwest took home the Business and Sustainability Award, With Containerchain receiving the Technology Award for its web-based information portal designed for the container logistics community.
Ivan Backman, an industry veteran of more than 40 years, grabbed the Personality of the Year Award in recognition of his contribution to the freight and logistics sector, while Power’s Country Express won the Investment in People Award.
The David Hay Scholarship Award going to Nicholas Bliesner from Secon. The scholarship is designed to support people in the industry who have not completed formal education and want to further their career. It was launched alongside the Young Achiever of the Year Award, which went to Jason Connor of CC Containers and Rhiannon Buckland from Bluescope Steel.
Secon has been engaged in a host of training and education initiatives over the past four years to boost the skills of its workforce. Employees, from administration through to management, have completed diplomas and certificates.
“If we’re going to succeed as a business we’ve got to have good staff. The only way to do that is to pump the training into them,” Secon CEO Terry Considine told ATN earlier this year.
VTA CEO Neil Chambers says the calibre of award nominees was high, making judging difficult.
“The winners should all be very proud,” he says.
Executive Director Philip Lovel teamed with comedian Trevor Marmalade to co-host the event and described it as “a spectacular show”.
“The awards are a testament to the quality of companies operating in the freight and logistics industry and recognise the hard work of all our people,” Lovel says.
In receiving its award, Containerchain was noted for developing a tool which will improve the overall efficiency of container movements and reduce costs for all port users.
FBT Transwest was cited for establishing a five-pronged approach to business sustainability: safety and environment, the customer, commercial developments sustainable growth and people management.
